Jets’ Brenden Dillon to remain out for Game 5 with hand injury

Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness spoke to the media this morning regarding injuries to Brenden Dillon and Vladislav Namestnikov.

Dillon will remain out for game 5 against the Colorado Avalanche with a hand injury after having his hand severely cut in an altercation at the end of game 3 with an Avalanche forward.

Namestnikov has not been ruled out for game 5, with Bowness adding “He’s a tough kid.” Namestnikov suffered a fractured left cheekbone after taking a puck to the face in game 4.

The Surrey, British Columbia product spent the 2023-24 season with the Jets and he eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth time in his career with eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 77 games played. He’s also been surprisingly productive in the playoffs, notching three assists in the three games, including two in their Game 1 victory.

Dillon was replaced by Logan Stanley in the lineup on Sunday. Stanley played the first two games of the playoffs for the Jets and was held pointless in both, but then was a healthy scratch for Game 3, before returning for game 4. He also had 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points in 25 games this year.

Dillon was an undrafted free agent signing by the Dallas Stars in 2011 after an excellent final season with the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He spent parts of three seasons in the AHL with the Texas Stars, making his NHL debut in the 2011-12 season for one game before becoming a consistent NHLer in the 2012-13 season.

Dillon is currently in the final year of a four-year contract with a $3.9 million cap hit and will be an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason.

Winnipeg is set to face off against Colorado in game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday where the Avs have the chance to close out the series.